allaah says (what means): “indeed, the muslim men and muslim women, the believing men and believing women, the obedient men and obedient women, the truthful men and truthful women, the patient men and patient women, the humble men and humble women, the charitable men and charitable women, the fasting men and fasting women, the men who guard their private parts and the women who do so, and the men who mention allaah often and the women who do so – for them allaah has prepared forgiveness and a great reward.” [quran 33: 35]

and also (what means): “o you who believe! remember allaah with much remembrance. and exalt him morning and afternoon.” [quran 33: 41-42]

abu hurayrah reported that the apostle said: “the mufarridoon have surpassed (the others) (i.e. in terms of reward).” the people asked: “who are the mufarridoon?” he replied: “those men and women who frequently mention allaah.”[muslim]

mentioning allaah has many benefits which the slave will reap, both in this world as well as the hereafter. imaam ibn al-qayyim recorded more than seventy benefits of mentioning allaah in a famous work of his. the following is a summary of what he stated in this regard.

benefits of mentioning allaah:

[1] it expels, dismisses and humiliates satan.

[2] it pleases allaah, glorified be he.

[3] it removes the worries and anxieties of the heart.

[4] it engulfs the heart with happiness and joy.

[5] it strengthens both heart and body.

[6] it illuminates the face and heart.

[7] it is a means for obtaining provision.

[8] it garnishes the one who practices it with nobility, delightfulness and radiance.

[9] it leads the person to be loved by allaah, which is the very essence of islaam and the cornerstone of happiness and salvation. one who strives to attain the love of allaah must be zealous in his mentioning of allaah.

[10] it causes the person to be conscious of allaah, to the point where he would reach the state of ihsaan (i.e., perfection of faith), and once this is attained, he will worship allaah as if he sees him.

[11] it leads to penitence and repentance to allaah. when a muslim turns to allaah by frequently mentioning him, it will lead his heart to turn to him in every state. accordingly, allaah the exalted will be his haven, his refuge and the one to whom he will revert when in trouble or danger.

[12] it brings the slave nearer to his lord. the more one mentions allaah, the closer he will be to him, and the more heedless he is in mentioning allaah, the further from him he will be.

despite its greatness, if the mentioning of allaah had no other benefits than this, it would have been virtue and honour enough. allaah said in the qudsi hadeeth: “and if he (i.e., my servant) mentions me within himself, i shall mention him to myself, and if he mentions me in an assembly, i will mention him in a better assembly.” [al-bukhaari and muslim]

[14] it revives the heart. imaam ibn al-qayyim said: “i heard imaam ibn taymiyyah saying: `the similitude of the importance of the mentioning of allaah to the heart is like that of water for fish. how would a fish be if it left water?`”

[15] it is the sustenance of the heart and the soul, and foregoing it would be just like depriving the body of nutrition. imaam ibn al-qayyim said: “i prayed the fajr prayer once with imaam ibn taymiyyah and after he finished, he remained in his place of prayer mentioning allaah until close to midday, then he turned around and addressed me saying; `this is my daily nutrition; if i did not get this then i would lose my power.`”

[17] it removes the gap between the slave and his lord, as the heedless have a huge gap between themselves and their lord.

[18] it rescues the slave from the punishment of allaah. the messenger said: “there is nothing that can rescue the slave from the punishment of allaah more than mentioning him.” [ahmad]

[19] it results in the descent of mercy and tranquillity, and the company of the angels. the messenger said: “it is never that a group of people assemble in one of the houses of allaah, reciting the book of allaah, learning it and teaching it, except that there will descend upon them tranquillity, and mercy will cover them, and the angels will flock around them, and allaah will mention them in the presence of those nearest to him.” [muslim]

[20] it busies the tongue away from backbiting, tale-bearing, lying and foul speech. it is certain that the slave will speak, and if this is not in the form of mentioning allaah, then it will be, most likely, either totally in what is prohibited, or at least partially in that. thus, the only way to protect oneself from this is by using the tongue to mention allaah.

[21 it protects the slave from regret and sorrow on the day of resurrection. abu hurayrah reported that the apostle said: “whenever a group of people sit in a gathering in which they do not mention allaah the exalted, nor supplicate to exalt the rank of their prophet, such a gathering will be a cause of grief and regret to them. if allaah wills, he will punish them (due to it), and if he wills he will forgive them.”[at-tirmithi]

[22] when done in seclusion and accompanied by crying, it makes the person deserving of the shade of the throne of allaah on the day of the greatest heat, the day of resurrection, when all other people will be suffering from the intense heat. the apostle said, regarding the seven types of people who will be shaded under the throne of allaah: “there are seven (types of) people whom allaah will shade under his throne when there will be no other shade but his…” and among them he mentioned: “…and a person who remembers allaah in solitude, such that his eyes well up.” [al-bukhaari and muslim]